Death and Desire
by LaFay97
Summary: Being the ill-gotten daughter of the devil had never been easy. But after her Grandfather dies and she is forced to attend Hogwarts, Eris Morningstar will find out it can get a whole lot harder. Snape/OC


**Death and Desire**

Chapter One

The manor whispered and groaned against the seaside breeze. The whistling that travelled through the long hallways echoing against the picture less walls and fell out of the front windows, escaping into the woods.

I stood in the doorframe to my Grandfather's room and listened to the wind, wishing it would carry me away with it and away from the stench of death. A smell that was woefully familiar. Finally opening my eyes again to the room, I could see his thin frame beneath the ghostly bed sheet that covered him, stained with dark patches of dried blood.

"Eris! Either get in the room or leave!" said the Mediwitch that had been sent from Saint Mungos. The plump woman had been with us for two months now. Since Grandfather's health had begun to rapidly decline. Natalie did not like me very much, but neither did most people once they found out who I was.

I pushed away from the doorframe and crossed further into the room, coming to a stop beside the old man. Slowly, I went to pull the sheet away from his face and heard Natalie's sharp intake of breath. My eyes snapped up to her in an instant, scowling at the deep browns.

"For Merlin's sake, Hoppings, he's already dead. What could I possibly do to him now?"

Natalie Hoppings huffed and puttered around the room, not quite willing to leave me there alone but no longer interested in watching me like a hawk.

I turned my attention back to the body and pulled the sheet away. Even now, I did not think Henrick looked that old. Sure, he was in his late 70s, but that was not truly old to a wizard, especially one as powerful as he was. But illness could take Muggles and Wizards alike if they were bad enough. Not even the best magic or medicine could save him.

Henrick's usually stern face was softer now, no longer marred by a frown. He was not an angry man, per se. He was stern, and always thoughtful. Ultimately he was a handsome fellow with neat, dark hair and green eyes often shadowed darker by his heavy brow.

I tilted my head. Even now he looked dignified. Even with the dried blood and the chalkish texture to his skin.

Sorrow did fill my heart, but he would have rose from the dead and lectured me for an hour if I made a scene at his deathbed. Maybe it would be worth it?

I looked at my black-gloved hands and smiled softly before I slowly removed the right one. My hand, pale, thin and unblemished, seemed foreign to even me, but I let my eyes wander back to Henrick.

"Bloody pitiful that the only time I get to touch you is when you're already dead, Old Man. Even you could have laughed at that," I said dryly as I stroked his already neat hair from his forehead and touched his cheek. His skin was cold to the touch but still a welcome feeling beneath my hands.

"I love you, Grandpa. Even though we never got to say it to each other, I know you loved me too." I leant down and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek and removed myself from his side, slipping my glove back on to my elbow as I did.

When I stepped away and looked up, Natalie was staring at my hands in concern, but she said nothing. I strode past her and did not look back into the room again until a few days after his body had been taken.

It felt as though something were trying to claw out of my skull, scratching at the bone with tiny claws. I dropped my head into my gloved hands and rubbed my temples.

"Surely there is someone better equipped to deal with family affairs?" I asked the lawyer with a sigh.

Barnaby Vikander merely shook his bald head and pushed his rectangle glasses further up his bulbous nose.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Morningstar. We have searched our records and you are the last living Witch, or Wizard, with the Ancient and Most Noble House of Borealis Blood. Thus leaving you in charge of the family estate."

I groaned and pushed myself up into the seat. We had been going through paperwork for hours and the sheer amount of signatures I had to provide were sure to give me ligament damage.

"I am still underage in the eyes of the Ministry. Why can't we get an official in to cover the affairs until I am of age?"

Vikander huffed in return, "Miss Morningstar, you will be the age of majority in three months time, by which you would have had to do all of this again if we were to get such a person in."

With a sigh I picked up the quill again, "You are right, of course, Barnaby. I'm glad my Grandfather chose such a sensible man to handle these matters. Can I expect your continued support of the Borealis Family?"

"Of course, Miss Morningstar. Our families have always been in business and will continue to be, even if there is no one left with the Borealis name. Blood is Blood."

I rolled the quill between my fingers and looked down at the parchment. "Indeed. Perhaps a name change may be in order?"

Vikander shrugged, and pulled off his glasses to give them a polish on his snow-white handkerchief. "There would not be much point, given you are a female and would have to change your name anyway when you married."

I shot him a disdainful look. "Barnaby, honestly. You must know that is not on the table for me. With my condition...it may not be likely for me to birth any heirs, anyway. Perhaps this is the end of the Borealis family. Not surprised it would end with my cursed blood tainting it."

Vikander shifted uncomfortably, realizing he had forgotten who he was speaking with.

"There is always the blood transfer spell?" he offered casually as he replaced his spectacles on his nose.

My eyebrows rose at that suggestion.

"A practice that had been illegal for over 300 hundred years, Barnaby. Do keep up."

"So be it. The family will end with you if need be but you are still a Pureblood Witch and should live for many, many years to come. No need for the Ancient and Most Noble house of Borealis to fall into disarray in the meantime."

"Right you are, Barnaby," I sighed, flourishing the quill across the paper once again as we resumed the signatures.

Vikander was going through details about the Estate in France when the fireplace began to glow green. I sat up straight and adopted the perfect pose befitting the head of a Noble House.

Through the emerald flames stepped a very old Wizard in Periwinkle robes. His long white beard was tied with a bead at his navel and half moon glasses sat upon a crooked nose that lead straight to his light blue eyes.

"Forgive me for not sending notice ahead, Miss Morningstar," said the old man with a doddering smile. I stood from my spot and walked across the study to greet him.

"Not at all, sir. Anyone is welcome in the House of Borealis during this time," I told the man as I gestured to an empty armchair across the desk from mine. We took our seats and I turned to Barnaby.

"Thank you, Mr. Vikander. That will be all for this afternoon. We can resume tomorrow morning at 10 am."

Vikander nodded and gave a curt bow. He gathered his things and then stepped into the fireplace, vanishing with a burst of green flame the same way the old Wizard had arrived.

I turned my attention back to my unexpected guess, which I knew to be Professor Albus Dumbledore without any introduction. He was notorious after all.

"Miss Morningstar, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I was a friend of Henrick's and the Borealis family for a long time."

"Pleasure to meet you. I have heard a great deal about you from my Grandfather. Your adventures and research came up often in my studies."

He smiled at that, a mischievous twinkle in his bright eyes.

"Studies are what I have come to talk to you about, Miss Morningstar. I am aware that you have done most of your schooling in this manor with your Grandfather. Your yearly examinations have proved you to be most excellent in Academics but your practical application is, perhaps, not quite up to standard."

I felt a muscle in my jaw jump at the remark but otherwise showed no emotion to the statement. It was woefully true, after all. Was he here to break my wand, perhaps? He would have to pry it from my cold, dead hands if that were the case.

"I would like to offer you an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to complete your final year. I believe this would be beneficial in order to master your practical magic."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. "Professor, thank you. But you cannot be seriously considering putting me in a school with so many other people, _children, _around? That is just waiting for an accident to happen," I smiled and shook my head. A silly notion. There were barely enough staff in the manor to keep the house running due to how dangerous it was for me to be around people. I did most of the housework myself, without magic (thanks Underage Magic Laws!), due to that fact.

"I assure you, everyone would be perfectly safe."

My gaze darkened. "You can assure no such thing."

Dumbledore smiled softly. "I am glad that you show concern for safety for my students, but it will not be necessary. The staff will be notified of your condition. We will place you in a dormitory of your own and, so long as you adhere to your usual strictness of attire, everything should be perfectly safe."

"Are you willing to bet these kids lives on that, Headmaster?" I looked at my gloved hands laced on the desk. Silence filled us for a moment that stretched to eternity.

"Eris, my dear, I know that you have every right to be cautious but having a witch like yourself not being fully in control of her powers could have detrimental effects. Other Pureblood families were...reluctant...to take you into their homes to finish your homeschooling. Hogwarts is the safest place to be right now. Especially with Voldemort back."

Shivers wracked down my spine, as I understood what this offer was truly about. If I did not come to the school, Voldemort would try and find me and use my...'gift' for evil. He had only returned just before summer last year and already the disappearances had begun. It was only a matter of time now that Grandfather had passed on and I would not be able to ward the manor myself until I was of age.

"I understand, Headmaster. I will accept so long as you warn the students against me. Those in the Wizard families will most likely have heard of me, but you must warn the Muggle-borns too. I will not have any more accidents on my hands."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "This will make it hard for you to find friends, my dear."

I laughed again, a cold and bitter sound. "I've lasted this long without friends, Professor. Another year will not hurt me. Besides, I am going for education and safety. Not to gossip and play pretend."

Dumbledore had a strange look in his eyes as he looked at me. As if he were seeing someone else in my place.

"I suppose we have an agreement then, Eris?"

"Indeed."

We did not shake hands.

The following weeks were a series of correspondents. Owls came and went from Borealis Manor like the waves of the ocean. Letters from all sorts of people. Barnaby regarding various estates, Gringrotts regarding the Borealis Vaults, Dumbledore and his Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall about Hogwarts and several Pureblood families sending their condolences for Henrick's death often mixed with a subtle hint of 'it was only a matter of time, given he was living with _you'. _I took it all in stride.

I had to hire Aurors to come ward the house until September came. They did so silently, and left as quickly as they came.

I had tried to get the ministry to lift the trace on my wand to no avail. It appears being the sole heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Borealis did little in my favour regarding the laws. Perhaps I should accept that position on the Wizemgot?

When September finally did roll around I found myself actually looking forward to going to Hogwarts, and more than a little nervous. I had spent my entire life having met only a handful of people and being homeschooled. To suddenly be thrust into a place teething with other people made me...want to vomit. I kept thinking about the possibility of an accident, even with all the safety measures they had put in place over the summer, it was daunting.

Following the Headmaster's instructions on the day had been fairly straightforward. While normally protocol would indicate that I take the train into Hogwarts, I would have to first wade through hundreds of Muggles to get to the hidden Platform 9 and 3/4s. Not ideal.

So instead we had arranged for me to Apparate to Hogsmeade and meet Professor McGonagall at the gates of Hogwarts. Luckily, Apparition was one of stronger suits and Henrick had taken me to Hogsmeade one Christmas when I was 14.

With my trunk fully packed and the best wards money could buy placed over the manor, I stepped into the garden and let the awful tug of apparation pull at my navel.

Apparation was extremely uncomfortable and often resulted in extreme Nausea. Henrick had made me apparate as far as Edinburgh once and nearly caused me to faint from the exertion. (We lived in Southern England.)

My feet hit the ground again before I knew it and I found myself standing outside of a small sweets shop. I let the nausea pass over me before I began my trek through the quaint Wizarding town and headed up the hill to the Castle. It was not too bad a walk to make it the Scotland Summer, but could certainly be a task in winter from what I remembered. Henrick had walked us up to the gates of Hogwarts before, just so I could at least see what the great Brittish Magical Academy looked like.

As I crested the hill and the castle came fully into view, so did a figure at the gates. The closer I got the more I could make the figure out. It was not who I was expecting, given the person was in fact a man dressed in black robes, arms crossed like some sullen teenager asked to do chores.

As I approached the gate, he flicked his wand discreetly and they creaked open. Closer now, I could see what an imposing figure he made. Gone was the image of a sullen teen, and in its place was the image of a panther perched upon a tree, ready to take down an antelope that had strayed too close.

"Miss Morningstar, I presume."

"Indeed, Sir. I was told to expect Professor McGonagall on my arrival?" I was polite enough, but he still scowled. His obsidian eyes were unwavering.

"Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall was called away last minute due to the resident Poltergeist setting fire to the Gryffindor Tower."

I blinked at him, wondering if the sullen man was making some sort of joke. Given his expression I decided it best not to laugh.

"Right. Well, then. Pleasure to meet you...?"

"Professor Snape, Potions Master." I perked a little at that. Potions were one of my favourite subjects. It rarely involved a wand and that made it a big plus in my books.

"Again, pleasure," I said politely. An honest smile on my face. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously before gesturing me to follow him. I liked him. He didn't offer false condolences or flowery sentiments. Given the summer I had, it was a welcome change. Every letter seemed to start with "Our Condolences for your loss, Miss Morningstar," before delving into something utterly benign.

We walked silently through the grounds and into the castle before I finally spoke.

"When do the other students arrive?" I asked softly, looking around me as if waiting for them to start springing from the walls. He eyed me out of the corner of his eye.

"In just under an hour. The Headmaster has requested a meeting with you first, however."

I agreed and left my belongings where he asked me. The walls were covered in Portraits all moving animatedly, chatting away. We never had portraits in the manor, but I never knew why.

We arrived at an ugly looking stone gargoyle that sneered as we approached.

"Licorice wand," Professor Snape said in his low drawl. I had to stop myself from looking at him like he was half mad. But sure enough the Gargoyle jumped aside to reveal a stairwell.

"Thanks?" I said to it as we passed. Manners above confusion, always.

This time Snape looked like he thought I was half mad and rolled his eyes. Again the image of him changed back to the sullen teenager.

Dumbledore's office was a bizarre thing. Covered in shiny whirred instruments that I could not even begin to guess as to their uses. Similar ones had lined a shelf in Henrick's office. Not that he had ever told me what they were for, the old bastard.

Portraits of previous Professors lined the walls, although most of them slept, others looked on with half interest. Higher up on the wall was the portrait of Headmistress Eleanor Borealis who ran Hogwarts over 600 years ago. Her opal eyes stared down at me in contemplation. Her gaze was intelligent, even as a Portrait.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk waiting patiently for me to finish my perusal of his office before he gestured to the two seats in front of him, a mirror to the middle of summer when I had done the same.I took my seat gratefully, woefully unfit after being kept in a manor for 15 years. Professor Snape, on the other hand, refused his seat and instead chose to hover by the fireplace like a shadow.

"Good to see you again, Miss Morningstar. I hope the rest of summer went well?"

"And you as well. Most paperwork I'm afraid. Never seems to be an end to it."

He chuckled amicably, eyes twinkling. He subtly checked her hands to be sure they were covered though. Good, let him be vigilant.

"I thought it may be best if you were to do your sorting in my office, rather than with the first years."

I nodded, familiar with Hogwarts strange practice of sorting students based on their personalities. The Borealis family had all been Ravenclaw, so I suspected I would be the same.

Dumbledore stood from his desk and went to retrieve a manky old hat from atop a shelf. It looked like it had seen better days. Dumbledore handed the hat to me and I promptly placed the thing on my head.

I felt a strange stirring in my head, like tentative tendrils.

"_I have not come across one of your kind before," _Said the hat inside her head. It spoke slowly, as if unsure.

_Not many have, I suspect._

"_Indeed... what a strange mind you have. Gnarled and lonely..."_

I bristled at his comment, hating how truthful it was. The truth always hurt the most, I had found.

"_Oh, how you wish you could step out of the shadows of your parents. But those Shadows will follow you forever, girl."_

"If you're not going to say anything useful, then do shut up," I growled allowed. Startling the professors.

"_Yet, the desire still remains. Ambition will set you a part. You have a cunning and resourcefulness about you. THAT I have seen many times before. Slytherin would be a perfect fit for you."_

"Is that so? So be it." I took the hat from my head and gave it back to Dumbledore.

"What was the final decision, my dear?" Dumbledore asked with a knowing smile.

"Slytherin."

Snape huffed, "Bloody Perfect."

I was already seated at Slytherin table when the other students arrived. They stared at me with open apprehension. Dumb looks of confusion over their pimpled faces. I could feel my heart racing looking at their sheer numbers. Hundreds of them, perhaps only two hundred, but that made them at least 190 more people than I had ever shared a room with in my life. My hands itched and my blood burned. So much life in one room. I could drown in it. I cast a worried glance at the Headmaster and saw that he had noticed my fear. He nodded reassuringly. My gaze flicked to Professor Snape, who turned out to also be the Head of Slytherin, but the dour professor looked anywhere but at me.

Once all the students were settled, and the first years had been sorted, Dumbledore began his announcements. Including a change in staffing. Apparently the Care of Magical Creatures Professor was away and had been temporarily replaced with the old professor of the same subjects. And the New Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was a squat woman dressed obscenely in bright pink sat beside Professor Snape. They looked painfully opposite sat next to each other like that. Dumbledore had tried to move on from the teaching announcements when the pink toad croaked her little throat and took to the podium.

I frowned as she spoke, deciphering her words with some ease. She was not particularly subtle.'

"...Intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." She concluded with a too-wide smile and finally took her seat again.

So, the Ministry was in a bit of a tiff. What else was new? But they had never actively interfered with Hogwarts so openly before to my knowledge.

Dumbledore took to the podium again, his eyes met mine and I gave a nod.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge. On to our next order of business, then? This year we welcome a late student to our school; one I hope you will make feel welcome. However, I must warn you that this student had a terrible curse placed upon them and I heavily advise not to touch her unless you wish to suffer instantaneous death," eyes fell to me immediately. Students closest to me shuffled away in their seats. I tried not to let it bother me. "Please welcome Eris Morningstar."

And with that, an uproar. Shouts broke out and insults were thrown. A few younger children actually burst into tears. I sat stoic faced against the noise.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore called. "Miss Morningstar is here simply to learn. Children often do not turn out like their parents and I would like you all to keep this in mind before you form an opinion," he said, calmly but sternly. The noise had died out instantly, but the tension was still in the air. Professor Umbridge looked as pink as the ugly dress she wore.

My heart beat wildly but I kept my face calm. Henrick would rise from the grave to slap me upside the head if I made a scene. Better to seem calm before such vile hatred.

I knew that there would be opposition to me attending the school. I was more surprised no one had yet hexed me outright. That was the burden of what my mother had done, and who my father was.

It was not easy being Lucifer's Daughter.

**A/N: Sorry if there are any mistakes, I didn't exactly edit this. Let me know if you catch anything! 3 This will be a side project for me to work on whilst I continue to update Beautiful Control. Given how emotionally invested I am in BC, I can fins it hard to write sometimes. This one I'm just gonna let write itself and see where it goes. **


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